9X03 The Penelope Papers – Episode Discussion

[Xanthe]

I really enjoyed this episode. So far, I’ve found all three episodes of S9 to be much better than the overall fare we were given in S6, 7 and the first half of S8. So I’m LOVING Gary Glasberg as showrunner.
The show seems to be back on track, with the emphasis on team. The snippy humour has gone – the team seem to like each other again. And we’re seeing bits of everyone, although Abby is still a bit too marginalised.
I’m loving what they’ve done with Tony – after two seasons of being almost unbearably stupid, we’re finally seeing some good character development – and unrelated to Tiva, which I never thought to be any kind of character development at all. For two seasons he devolved but now he’s evolving again, and I’m loving it.

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed it as well! I liked the Tim character development we saw, and the bond between Tony and Tim. I also loved Sean’s scenes with LT and MH. that scene outside interrogation was fantastic!

[Anonymous]

I must have been having an off night. Even though I loved the Tony/Tim partnership (which always make me laugh), I really didn’t like this episode. In fact, I thought it was boring and actually played on my computer while the show ran. Also, I’m a HUGE Lily Tomlin fan, so I was really excited about this ep.
Maybe I was just tired. I need to re-watch it….

[Xanthe]

I think the plot was a bit dry and hard to follow. I loved the character stuff but not so much the main plot. Loved Lily Tomlin – I love her in everything she’s in though. My main problem with her is she just looks SO young. She IS old enough to be Tim’s gran but she doesn’t look it! LOL!

[Anonymous]

I liked bits of this one. MW was on fire again! His energy levels this season are amazing. This is the Tony we’ve all loved for years – quirky, excitable, goofy and one hell of an investigator.
I was disappointed by Sean Murray’s performance. I didn’t get any sense of urgency, any real anger or panic. Maybe I’m focusing too much on what MH and MW are bringing this season (especially in the first two episodes), because they are doing amazing work both together and separately on screen.
I also didn’t buy Lily Tomlin as his gran. I didn’t see or feel a connection between them. Didn’t, up until this episode, Tim have a pretty normal home life growing up? Now he’s estranged from his father? Did I miss something? (I might have – my viewing for seasons 6, 7 and 8 were spotty.)
So, I enjoyed this one but it’s not got that elusive rewatchability thing going on for me.

[Xanthe]

Yeah, the thing about them ALL having difficult relationships with their dads is starting to irritate me enormously. But it is a standard trope on US TV – less so in other parts of the world but virtually no US drama is complete without a difficult father/son relationship.
I didn’t buy that Lily Tomlin was McGee’s grandmother, or understand the family history they were trying to paint. I liked the episode and that SM got a chance to do something but in earlier seasons he seemed to have a good relationship with his dad and a stable home life and I was irritated they changed that in order to have get more dysfunctional families within the team.

[Anonymous]

You know something is hinky when suddenly Gibbs has the most normal childhood of the team.

[Anonymous]

Loved seeing Lily. I’m an old (yes) fan of hers. And kind of intrigued with the idea of Ducky having a lady friend. A proper “steady girlfriend”.
But the plot line. Oi! Even I had some trouble swallowing the concept of breeding computer insects. And I’ll swallow pretty much anything. To be honest, I expected better of the show. But, there ya go.
XOXOXOX

[Author]

Posts